Microscope control device, microscope system, microscope control method and computer program

Abstract

A microscope controller (10) is provided, the microscope controller (10) including one or more processors (140) and one or more storage devices (150). The microscope controller (10) is configured to provide a control parameter. The microscope controller (10) is further configured to process phosphor information indicative of one or more phosphors and derive a control parameter based on the phosphor information. The microscope controller (10) is further configured to render a graphical user interface (1000) and, as part of the graphical user interface (1000), one or more phosphor control widgets (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140), the one or more phosphor control widgets (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140) corresponding to a phosphor or one of the phosphors indicated by the phosphor information. Each of the or each of the phosphor control widgets (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140) includes a first widget zone (1112, 1122, 1132, 1142) providing user feedback indicative of a corresponding phosphor and a second widget zone (1114, 1124, 1134, 1144) indicating an illumination intensity associated with the phosphor. A microscope system (1), a method (500) for providing microscope control parameters and a computer program comprising program code for implementing the method (500) are also part of the invention.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a microscope control device, a microscope system, a method for controlling a microscope, and a computer program. [Background technology]

[0002] EP 3721279 A1 discloses a microscope system including a detection unit adapted to detect the fluorescence response of fluorophores in multiple different color channels using multiple detectors. Each of the fluorophores can be excited using light from a light source, such as a light-emitting diode. In the embodiment described in connection with FIG. 3 , two detection units can be provided, and a switchable or displaceable mirror can guide light to either one of these detection units via a corresponding beam path. One of the detection units can be connected to or be part of a wide-field detection system, and one of the detection units can be connected to or be part of a confocal detection system. In one embodiment, wide-field and confocal illumination units corresponding to the detection units are also provided. Generally, a microscope system is disclosed in which the fluorescence response of one or more fluorophores can be detected, and the detection and illumination settings are adjusted accordingly by a user. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The present invention has the object of improving the operation of a microscope system in which the fluorescence response of one or more fluorophores is detected, particularly in terms of effectiveness and user-friendliness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] A microscope control device is provided, including one or more processors and one or more storage devices. The microscope control device is configured to provide control parameters. The microscope control device is configured to process phosphor information indicating one or more phosphors and derive the control parameters based on the phosphor information. The microscope control device is also configured to render a graphical user interface and, as part of the graphical user interface, one or more phosphor control widgets, each of the phosphor control widget or multiple phosphor control widgets corresponding to one of the phosphors or multiple phosphors indicated by the phosphor information. Each of the phosphor control widget or multiple phosphor control widgets includes a first widget zone and a second widget zone, the first widget zone providing user feedback indicating the corresponding phosphor, and the second widget zone indicating an illumination intensity associated with the phosphor. In one embodiment of the present invention, the second widget zone in the phosphor control widget or each of the multiple phosphor control widgets may be rendered as a rim surrounding the first widget zone, with a proportion of the rim corresponding to the illumination intensity being rendered differently from the remaining proportion.

[0005] The proposed microscope controller, including the user interface and phosphor control widget, enables substantially phosphor-based operation of a fluorescence microscope, which is a departure from the traditional operating paradigm based on specific instrument settings, and in particular allows inexperienced or less experienced users, as well as more experienced users, to adjust and control settings for examining samples in a more user-friendly and less error-prone manner.

[0006] The term "widget," as understood herein, refers to any element of interaction rendered as part of a user interface, including, but not limited to, elements configured for selection and display of elements or collections, such as buttons (including radio buttons, check boxes, toggle switches, toggle buttons, split buttons, cycle buttons), sliders, list boxes, spinners, drop-down lists, menus (including context menus and pie menus), menu bars, toolbars (including ribbons), combo boxes, icons, tree views, grid views; elements configured for navigation, such as links, tabs, and scroll bars; elements for text input, such as text and combo boxes; elements for outputting information, such as labels, tooltips, help balloons, status bars, progress bars, and information bars; and containers, such as (modal) windows, windows, dialog boxes, palettes, frames, and canvas elements. The term "user interface" should be understood to refer generally to graphical user interfaces.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the microscope control device may be configured to receive user input in a plurality of different input modes and convert the user input in the plurality of different input modes into interactions with the phosphor control widget in a plurality of different interaction modes. This allows a user to interact with the system in a manner familiar to users from user input devices in other technical fields. Providing multiple different interaction modes for the same user input device advantageously allows a single device to be used to trigger multiple different functions.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the microscope control device may be configured to receive user input in a plurality of different input modes from one or more user input devices selected from a mouse, a touchpad, a joystick, a trackball, and a touchscreen, where the interaction modes include at least one of a first button click, a second button click, a drag-and-drop action, a touch action and a mouseover action, or a hover action. In particular, each of the above-mentioned interaction modes may be associated with a specific function. Thus, a user may trigger multiple different functions without distraction using the same input device, for example, while positioning a cursor or mouse pointer at a specific location.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the microscope controller may be configured to, in response to an interaction in one of the interaction modes, toggle at least one of illumination for exciting the corresponding fluorophores, use of fluorophore information regarding the corresponding fluorophores in an un-mixing method to determine the contribution of the fluorophores in a common fluorescent response, and display of an image obtained based on the fluorescent responses of the corresponding fluorophores. That is, a single user action can advantageously be used to switch a fluorophore (i.e., parameters related to its excitation and detection) "on" and "off" instead of individually adjusting multiple instrument settings.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the microscope controller may be configured to render a fine-tuning panel in response to an interaction in one of the interaction modes. Thus, a user can fine-tune parameters for one of multiple fluorophores without having to specifically select a different window for such adjustment, yet still use the very same control widget. This allows for a less distracting manner of operating the microscope.

[0011] In this regard, the microscope control device may be configured to modify the control parameters based on user input received using the fine-tuning panel, which, as described above, is advantageously possible in a less distracting manner than is the case with prior art microscope control devices.

[0012] In particular, in one embodiment of the present invention, the microscope control device may be configured to reposition phosphor control widgets in the graphical user interface in response to a decision to interact in one of the interaction modes. Such repositioning and regrouping can be useful, in particular, for associating the control widgets and the phosphors corresponding to the control widgets with a plurality of different processing techniques in a particularly intuitive manner.

[0013] In this regard, the fluorophore information may indicate multiple fluorophores, and the microscope controller may be configured to provide control parameters that specify sequential or parallel excitation of the multiple fluorophores. In this regard, repositioning the fluorophore control widget may make it particularly easy to associate one or more fluorophores with a particular processing technique.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the microscope controller may be configured to provide control parameters that specify whether multiple fluorophores are required to be excited sequentially or in parallel based on the grouping state of corresponding fluorophore control widgets in the graphical user interface. Thus, multiple fluorophores can be intuitively associated with different processing techniques (sequential or parallel), e.g., grouping multiple fluorophore control widgets in one subunit of the user interface, such as a canvas area or subwindow, indicates parallel processing, while locating multiple fluorophore control widgets in different subunits indicates sequential processing.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the microscope controller may be configured to provide control parameters that further specify camera and / or scanner settings. In such an embodiment, many more parameters than those related to illumination may be controlled based on fluorophore information, thus further improving the advantageous operating paradigm provided.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, a microscope controller may be configured to control the operation of a fluorescence microscope including multiple light sources, and the controlled illumination intensity may be the illumination intensity of one or more of the light sources primarily used for excitation of the corresponding fluorophores. That is, a single user interface action may be used to simply switch "on" and "off" the primary fluorescence response of a fluorophore (not including the fluorescence response due to cross-excitation).

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the microscope control device may be configured such that the control parameters are adapted for use in wide-field and confocal fluorescence inspection techniques. The microscope control device is therefore particularly useful for controlling a fluorescence microscope that can operate in both wide-field and confocal fluorescence inspection techniques, as mentioned in the introduction, using the advantageous operating paradigm described above.

[0018] A microscope system is also provided, comprising a fluorescence microscope and a microscope control device.Regarding the features and advantages of the microscope system, reference is made to the description of the different aspects above, which also apply to the microscope system.

[0019] Further, a method for providing microscope control parameters is proposed, in which phosphor information indicating one or more phosphors is processed and control parameters are derived based on the phosphor information. A graphical user interface and one or more phosphor control widgets are rendered as part of the graphical user interface, where each of the phosphor control widget or multiple phosphor control widgets corresponds to one of the phosphors or multiple phosphors indicated by the phosphor information. Each of the phosphor control widget or multiple phosphor control widgets includes a first widget zone and a second widget zone, where the first widget zone provides user feedback indicating the corresponding phosphor and the second widget zone indicates an illumination intensity associated with the phosphor. Again, for features and advantages of such a method, reference is made to the descriptions of the various aspects above, which also apply to the method for controlling a microscope.

[0020] This also applies in particular to the corresponding method according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a microscope control device or a microscope system as described above in the different embodiments is used.

[0021] There is also provided a computer program comprising a program code for carrying out the method as described above in its different aspects when the computer program is executed on a processor, and likewise benefits from the corresponding advantages. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a microscope system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a microscope. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates aspects of a graphical user interface. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 shows a fluorescence control widget. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 illustrates user input to a fluorescence control widget. [Figure 6]FIG. 10 illustrates regrouping of the fluorescence control widget. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 illustrates additional user inputs to the fluorescence control widget. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] As already mentioned at the beginning, fluorescence microscopes are known that include multiple detectors, each of which can be used to detect the fluorescence response of a different fluorophore. In such fluorescence microscopes, and even if the fluorescence microscope includes only one detector, properly adjusting the fluorescence illumination settings, such as the intensity of a single light source or one of multiple light sources, and the corresponding detection settings is not an easy task. In microscopes that allow a user to select between multiple different microscope operating modes, including, but not limited to, a wide-field operating mode and a confocal operating mode, such adjustments become even more complicated.

[0024] This will be explained below with reference to Figures 1 and 2, where Figure 1 shows in a more general way a microscope system 1 including a microscope 300, and Figure 2 shows details of switching between widefield and confocal operation and the respective illumination and detection units of a correspondingly configured microscope 300. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to use with microscopes 300 that are operable in widefield and confocal modes of operation, but may be used with numerous configurations of fluorescence microscopes. Advantages of embodiments of the present invention are present in virtually all fluorescence microscopes that are capable of adjusting illumination and detection settings.

[0025] As will be explained later, there are many technical elements involved in the operation of the fluorescence microscope 300, and the effects these elements have on each other, on the sample being observed, and on the results obtained in terms of fluorescence images are not always predictable, especially for inexperienced users. For example, if the illumination intensity of the light source is adjusted to a high value, it may be possible to increase the fluorescence response of fluorophores whose excitation wavelength peaks correspond to the central wavelength of the light source. However, in such cases, cross-excitation of other fluorophores whose main excitation wavelength peaks do not correspond to the central wavelength of the light source may also become significantly higher, resulting in more non-specific results ("crosstalk"). This means that matching excitation and response becomes increasingly difficult and the output of known non-mixing techniques becomes unreliable. Furthermore, illumination settings that are too strong may cause photodamage to the sample or to fluorophores in the sample, also known as "sample bleaching."

[0026] However, illumination settings that are too weak can result in images with too low contrast in one fluorescence channel or with too high a relative cross-excitation contribution from other light sources, which reduces the specificity of the results obtained.

[0027] Certain influences, such as the local environment of a fluorophore, may shift the dominant excitation and / or emission wavelengths to some extent, and therefore may require adjustment of the wavelengths used for excitation and / or detection, or widening of the excitation or detection bandwidth. However, in other cases, it may be advantageous to narrow the excitation and detection bandwidth, for example to reduce crosstalk and cross-excitation.

[0028] Excitation and detection settings have an impact on the results of spectral unmixing techniques, particularly those that can be used in conjunction with fluorescence microscopy. Spectral unmixing addresses the problem of overlapping emission spectra of fluorophores resulting from cross-excitation or "bleed-through" between different detection channels. These phenomena can lead to false positives if not properly addressed. The corresponding problems become particularly pronounced when samples are labeled with three or more fluorophores. Spectral unmixing may include, among others, linear unmixing, nonnegative matrix factorization, deconvolution, and principal component analysis. Separation techniques may be based on a priori knowledge of the emission spectra or may be used in conjunction with limiting the number of fluorophores to no more than the number of detection channels. In the understanding at the heart of this specification and used herein, spectral unmixing is the task of decomposing a mixed multichannel image into spectral signatures and the abundance of each signature at each pixel.

[0029] The settings of specific interacting components and the microscopy results described above are not exhaustive: for example, the detection time or frame rate (i.e., the frequency at which images are taken and the time used to acquire one image) in area detectors, or the corresponding scanning time in scanning systems using point or line detectors, can have a strong influence on contrast, brightness, and possibly detector noise, and are closely related to the illumination intensity used.

[0030] As mentioned above, FIG. 1 illustrates a microscope system 1 that can be used in embodiments of the present invention. The microscope system 1 can be configured to perform the methods described herein. The microscope system 1 includes a microscope 300 and a computer system 100. The microscope 300 is configured to capture images and is connected to the computer system 100 via a wired or wireless communication path or interface unit 200. The microscope 300 is a fluorescence microscope and, in one embodiment, can be configured to operate in multiple different microscope operating modes, such as a wide-field operating mode and a confocal operating mode, as further illustrated with reference to FIG. 2 . Although FIG. 1 illustrates an upright microscope 300, embodiments of the present invention can also be used with an inverted microscope, details of which are shown in FIG. 2 .

[0031] The computer system 100 may be configured to perform at least some of the methods described herein. The computer system 100 and the microscope 300, as well as the entirely optional interface unit 200, may be separate entities, or may be integrated into a common housing. The computer system 100, even though illustrated as a laptop computer, may be part of the central processing system of the microscope 300, and / or the computer system 100 may be part of a subcomponent of the microscope 300, such as a sensor, actuator, camera, or lighting unit of the microscope 300. The same is essentially true for the interface unit 200.

[0032] Computer system 100 may be a local computing device (e.g., a personal computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, or mobile phone) with one or more processors 140 and one or more storage devices 150, or may be a distributed computing system (e.g., a cloud computing system with one or more processors and one or more storage devices distributed at various locations, such as local clients and / or one or more remote server farms and / or data centers). Computer system 100 may include any circuit or combination of circuits.

[0033] In an embodiment of the present invention, the computer system 100 may include one or more processors 140, which are illustrated as being integrated into the housing of the computer system 100 in FIG. 1, but are not limited to this. The processors 140 may be of any type, and may be provided in any number and in any location in any component of the microscope system 1. As used herein, the term processor may contemplate any type of computing circuit, such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, microcontroller, complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, graphics processor, digital signal processor (DSP), multi-core processor, field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other type of processor or processing circuit, of the microscope 300 or any component (e.g., camera) of the microscope system 1. Other types of circuits that may be included in computer system 100 may be custom circuits, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc., such as one or more circuits (such as communications circuits) used in wireless devices such as cell phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, two-way radios, and similar electronic systems.

[0034] The one or more storage devices 150 shown included in computer system 100 may include one or more memory elements suitable for a particular purpose, such as main memory in the form of random access memory (RAM), one or more hard drives and / or one or more drives that handle removable media, such as compact discs (CDs), flash memory cards, digital video discs (DVDs), and the like.

[0035] Computer system 100 may include a display device 110, one or more speakers, a keyboard 120, and / or one or more controllers or user interaction devices, which may be or include a mouse, or a trackpad 130 with buttons 132 and 134 as shown, a trackball, a touch screen, a joystick, a voice recognition device, or any other device that allows a user of the system to input information to and / or receive information from computer system 100.

[0036] 1, the computer system 100 may be configured to render a graphical user interface 1000, as shown in further and following embodiments, on a display device 110. The computer system 100 may further be configured to provide the possibility of interaction with the graphical user interface 1000 for operating the microscope system 1 via a keyboard and / or a trackpad 130 and / or any further input device.

[0037] Microscope 300 is shown to include, among other components, a microscope housing 310, a stage 320 on which sample 20 can be placed, a focus adjustment knob 330, a transmitted-light illumination unit 340, a lens barrel 360 with at least one objective lens or lens 350, an eyepiece or eyepiece set 370, a camera or detection unit 380, and an incident illumination unit 390, which is shown to include, but is not limited to, a plurality of different light sources 392-396. Light from illumination unit 390 is coupled, as shown by dotted lines, through a beam splitter 398 into a beam path, as shown by dashed lines. While additional components of an embodiment of microscope 300 are illustrated in FIG. 2, embodiments of the present invention are not limited by the specific configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The microscope may be operable in a number of different microscope operating modes, such as a wide-field operating mode and a confocal operating mode, via appropriate switching of the light sources 392-396 or illumination unit 390 and the detection modalities within the detection unit 380. In general, the detection unit 380 may include a number of different detection channels, the number of which may correspond to the number of light sources 392-396 or the number of illumination channels provided by the light sources 392-396.

[0038] The computer system 100 and the interface unit 200 may be referred to as a microscope controller 10, although as used herein, this term is not limited to a microscope controller 10 that includes a computer and an interface unit 200. As used herein, the term "microscope controller" should be understood functionally, particularly to refer to a unit or group of units that include one or more processors 140 and one or more storage devices 150 provided in the computer system 100 or that are otherwise configured to render a graphical user interface 1000 as further illustrated in the embodiments above and below.

[0039] As described above, operating software for the corresponding microscope system 1 and microscope 300 has traditionally required the user to adjust numerous illumination and detection settings using several different user interface elements, each of which typically allows specific, direct adjustment of an element used, such as a light source or detector chip. While conventional user interfaces may use computer control that combines several specific settings, the user generally still must have detailed knowledge of the technical background of each setting and its impact on the results achieved.

[0040] In contrast, embodiments of the present invention involve a change in the operating paradigm of the microscope system 1 and a different approach to operation, which in one embodiment is a workflow-based approach. At the heart of this new approach can be fluorophore information, which can be part of a so-called sample definition. This sample definition is the first step in the workflow-based approach. A sample definition can be provided by the user, who can describe the nature of the sample to be examined. The sample definition may include a definition of the sample carrier (slide, Petri dish, well plate) and the sample's dimensions (shape, diameter, etc.) and properties (adhesiveness, fixability, bioactivity, etc.). The fluorophore information may include specifications of the dyes (stains or fluorophores) provided to the sample, and optionally the sample's name, chemical data, shelf life, light sensitivity, etc. Via the above-mentioned fluorophore information, the microscope system 1 is informed, in particular, of the spectrum to be used, i.e., the excitation and emission wavelengths.

[0041] Thus, for the first time, embodiments of the present invention place fluorophores at the center of the operation of the microscope system 1, instead of traditional (direct) hardware configuration. This fluorophor-based approach allows this information to be used to provide preconfiguration and automation to the user, unlike traditional systems. This results in an entirely new way of operating fluorescence applications. Embodiments of the present invention provide the user with a streamlined, intuitive user interface using only a few user interface controls. In embodiments, the system may be configured to automatically locate features in the sample, such as cells, and automatically identify optimal illumination settings. This allows the user to fully focus on the question they want answered by microscopy, eliminating the need for expert knowledge of the technical parameters and their interactions for proper sample illumination.

[0042] The user interface provided by embodiments of the present invention allows new user groups to be addressed, since the user needs little or no knowledge of the underlying technology thanks to "smart controls". For the first time, a new approach to fluorescence operation is proposed that also applies to fluorescence microscopes that can operate in several different modes of operation, for example, widefield (camera) mode and confocal (scanner / detector) mode.

[0043] Before proceeding to a description of a user interface according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2, which will now be described, illustrates a fluorescence microscope 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which can be used, for example, as the fluorescence microscope 300 in the microscope system 1 as shown in FIG. 1. The fluorescence microscope 300 as shown in FIG. 2 includes two detection units: a first detection unit 380a and a second detection unit 380b. A switchable or displaceable mirror 382 (as indicated by the double arrow) or any other switching means can selectively couple the observation light to either the first detection unit 380a or the second detection unit 380b. In the position shown in FIG. 2, the observation light is coupled to the second detection unit 380b on the right side via the mirror 382. When the mirror 382 is moved from the illustrated position as indicated by reference numeral 382′, the light path travels further downward (in the illustrated embodiment), causing the observation light to be coupled to the first detection unit 380a, as indicated by the dotted edge. The optical lenses provided in the illumination beam path and the detection beam path are not specifically referenced.

[0044] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the first detection unit 380a is a wide-field detection unit, and in this wide-field detection unit, the image plane is designated by the reference numeral 384a. The observation light is collimated using a lens not specifically designated and directed to a detector device 386a in the first detection unit 380a. The detector device 386a may be configured to split the observation light into multiple different detection channels. Regarding the detector device 386a usable in the first detection unit 380a, specific reference is made to EP 3721279, in particular the detection unit 10 shown in FIG. 3 and the corresponding description, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. The illumination unit for wide-field detection in the first detection unit 380a is shown in a simplified manner and designated by the reference numeral 390a. The light of the illumination unit for wide-field detection may be coupled into the illumination beam path of the microscope 300 in any manner known in the field of microscope illumination, such as by using a dichroic mirror 391a.

[0045] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the second detection unit 380b is a confocal detection unit, in which the image plane is designated by the reference symbol 384b. For confocal detection using the confocal detection unit 380b, a point light source 390b can be provided. The point light source 390b can be, in particular, a (single) pinhole aperture into which laser light can be focused, or the end of a light guide or optical fiber from which light is emitted in a point form. The point light source 390b is conjugate with the intermediate image plane 384b in the sample 20 and the object plane 21, so that the illumination light can be focused to a point in the object plane 21 via a dichroic mirror 391b and illumination optics (not specifically designated by a reference symbol) so that scanning can be performed using an X / Y scanner 395b, which can be located in a telecentric plane or in a plane conjugate to the telecentric plane. This allows scanning of the sample 20 in the sample plane 21, as is generally known. The pinhole is designated by the reference symbol 397b. Again, for further details, specific reference is made to EP 3721279, in particular the detection unit 20 shown in Figure 3 and the corresponding description, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. The same applies to the detector arrangement 386b, which may be configured to split the observation light into several different detection channels. Specific reference is also made to EP 3721279 with regard to the detector arrangement 386b usable in the second detection unit 380b.

[0046] As is evident from the sheer number of components present in a microscope capable of operating in multiple different microscope operating modes, such as microscope 300 shown in FIG. 2, a large number of settings may be implemented separately in each of these operating modes, including, but not limited to, the selection or intensity of light sources 392-396 in any of the operating modes, and possibly corresponding filters. Furthermore, such settings may include detector settings such as exposure time, sensor gain, area sensor crop, area sensor binning, or selection of a particular area sensor in the case of a wide-field operating mode, and detector settings such as scan speed, scan resolution, pinhole size, detector gain, and selection of the particular detector used in the case of a confocal operating mode. While setting or adjusting the operating parameters of some of these components can be simplified, for example, by selecting appropriate default values, using optimization algorithms, combining appropriate adjustments, etc., adjustments of at least some of the components used in any one of the operating modes are conceptually strictly separated in conventional devices.

[0047] In other words, the aforementioned difficulties in adjusting illumination and detector parameters for a single fluorophore and / or operating mode become even more pronounced in microscopes that allow users to select between multiple different microscope operating modes. As noted above, in such microscopes, the operating concepts in each operating mode are significantly different from each other. Settings that affect the images obtained in these operating modes include, for example, illumination settings for the wide-field light source (area sensor or "camera") versus illumination settings for the scanning light source and each illumination beam path component, and detection settings for components such as a line detector or point detector versus detection settings for an area detector, including each detection beam path component. Each of these components, if adjustable, generally can affect the image results and must therefore be adjusted individually and carefully.

[0048] In embodiments, the present invention allows for a unified control of multiple different microscope operating modes in a single unified operating concept. Such unified control has not been realized until now due to the involvement of multiple different devices, components, and their parameters. The combination of automaticity, mathematical models, and functionality in embodiments of the present invention can help to share common control elements or control widgets between the different operating modes. The appropriate settings for each operating mode are transparently differentiated in the background without further user interaction.

[0049] Embodiments of the present invention eliminate the need for a user of microscope 300 in each of several different operational modes, which traditionally typically requires the user to conceptually and mentally "switch" between several different operational and interaction concepts. Particularly for users who are inexperienced in one of the operational modes, or in relatively stressful observation situations, such as when observing a moving sample, embodiments of the present invention overcome significant hurdles for inexperienced users and reduce distraction from the actual task of observing and inspecting a sample.

[0050] In other words, embodiments of the present invention provide an advantageous operating concept that abstracts the operation of a microscope, even in multiple different operating modes, from the underlying technical details. Embodiments of the present invention allow for target-oriented operation, i.e., the operating concept can start from or focus on the fluorophores used and the results to be achieved, such as image resolution, image size, and exposure time, or even acquisition speed. In general, embodiments of the present invention ensure that users generally do not need to understand much about the technology underlying multiple different operating modes and can instead focus on the actual operation or quality and parameters of the microscope image. As mentioned above, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to widefield and confocal operation, even though they are described below with a focus on these specific microscope operating modes.

[0051] In conventional concepts for operating a fluorescence microscope 300, the user must still have detailed knowledge of the technical background of each of the operating modes and the effect each of these technical backgrounds has on the results achieved. As mentioned above, conventional devices typically even require the user to conceptually and mentally “switch” between multiple different operating and interaction concepts. This problem is overcome by embodiments of the present invention, which, as will now be further described, provide for phosphor-based control of a microscope (system) in a single, integrated operating concept, particularly in multiple different microscope operating modes.

[0052] In other words, embodiments of the present invention provide an advantageous operational concept that abstracts the operation of a microscope, particularly in its different operating modes, from the underlying technical details. Such a concept may employ a user interface 1000 as shown schematically in Figure 3, where the components of the user interface 1000 may be arranged as shown, or in any other conceivable configuration.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 3 , but without limitation, the user interface 1000 may be divided into an input panel 1100 containing multiple input widgets or widget groups 1101-1105, and a display panel 1200, which in the example shown in FIG. 3 displays four different images 1201-1204 obtained by capturing fluorescence responses in four different channels. The images may be acquired in any one of the microscope operating modes, provided the microscope 300 is accordingly configured. That is, the images may be the output of multiple different area sensors in the detection unit 380 used in a wide-field operating mode, or may be representations of scanning responses captured in one or more detectors or sensors used in a confocal operating mode. The images 1201-1204 may be an overlay of two or more fluorescence responses used in the same microscope operating mode, or possibly in different microscope operating modes. These images may be resolution-aligned with each other or relative to a common value, in embodiments of the present invention. At least one of the images 1201-1204 may be a two-dimensional representation of three-dimensional image data, for example a slice of such three-dimensional image data, or a projection of such three-dimensional image data onto a plane.

[0054] Embodiments of the present invention are in no way limited by the number of images 1201-1204 displayed or their origin, processing technique, or source. For example, the images 1201-1204 may be displayed in pseudo-color, or if captured as grayscale images, as a (pseudo) colored representation. For example, the images 1201-1204 may be displayed in colors corresponding to peaks in the fluorescence emission spectrum in the fluorescence channel in which the images 1201-1204 were captured, or the display colors may be freely selected by a user of the microscope system 1 or microscope control device 10 to differentiate the images, for example, in overlay images.

[0055] Images captured in a fluorescence microscope may be monochrome (grayscale) or colored according to wavelength and displayed on the display panel 1200. In this way, overlay of a single channel with multiple different colors is possible. If a user uses fluorophores that are very similar to each other in a sample (e.g., Alexa 568 and Alexa 594 are both orange fluorophores), the overlay structures from the two channels will naturally be detected as the same color. Here, it may be desirable to maximize the contrast so that both fluorophores can be better distinguished. To solve this problem, a user can associate different display colors with one or both fluorophores.

[0056] The images 1201-1204 may be displayed as still images 1201-1204, as moving images 1201-1204, or as a mixture of still and moving images 1201-1204, and the user interface may be configured to switch between still and moving image views of the images 1201-1204, for example, to take "snapshots" of a moving sample, for example, at predetermined time intervals or in response to a request from a microscope user, for example, via a widget in the user interface 1000. Embodiments of the invention generally provide a simultaneous mixed view of still images 1201-1204 and moving images 1201-1204, which allows, for example, visual tracking of the movement of the sample 20 or components of the sample 20 while, in parallel, inspecting the sample 20 or components of the sample 20 in detail.

[0057] Aspects of embodiments of the present invention may include acquiring and / or displaying images 1201-1204, such as those shown in Figure 3, possibly via multiple different microscope operating modes, and possibly with multiple different detection modes, sizes, resolutions, detection channels, etc., where a fluorophore-based control concept is used to acquire such images 1201-1204 via user interface 1000. Aspects include setting parameters, possibly using the same user interface widgets, for multiple different microscope operating modes based on pre-defined fluorophore information, and transparently translating corresponding user input into specific illumination (excitation) and / or detection settings for any of the multiple different operating modes.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 4 , in embodiments of the present invention, this is accomplished through the use of fluorescent control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, and 1140 provided in a widget area that may, without limitation, correspond to input panel 1100 previously shown in FIG. 3 and, therefore, is also referred to herein as the input panel. In embodiments of the present invention, sub-panels 1101 and 1102 of input panel 1100 may be provided, or only one sub-panel may be provided. Sub-panels 1101 and 1102 may be similar or dissimilar to widget groups 1101 and 1102 as shown in FIG. 3 , or may be provided as additional widgets or widget groups. Fluorescent control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, and 1140 are user interface components capable of implementing the fluorescent-based operations according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, as further described below.

[0059] To this end, each of the fluorophore control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, and 1140 is provided to correspond to one or more of the fluorophores indicated by the fluorophore information. The number of control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, and 1140 is dynamic and depends on the number of fluorophores indicated and specified by the user in the sample information for which such fluorophore information is provided, in addition to other sample parameters as described above. Alternatively, the fluorophore information may be provided by the user separately from additional sample information or without sample information. The fluorophore information, whether provided in addition to or together with the sample information, may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: the name of the fluorophore; an excitation wavelength or wavelength range usable to excite the fluorophore; and an emission wavelength or wavelength range characterizing the fluorescence response of the fluorophore. The wavelength range may be provided, among other things, in the form of a center wavelength and a wavelength band bandwidth. The fluorophore information may also include information regarding the chemical or physical stability of the fluorophore. For example, the fluorophore information may specify, but is not limited to, one, two, three, four, or five fluorophores, which number may correspond to or be less than the number of detection channels (i.e., camera chips, area detectors, scanning detectors, etc.) of the microscope 300, among others.

[0060] The control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 are provided to provide the user with information about, and possibilities for interaction with, the excitation and detection of the fluorophores corresponding to these control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140. Optionally, the control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 may be used in place of information means of conventional information widgets of graphical or non-graphical user interfaces conventionally used to provide information about illumination settings, fluorescence response, and parameters set in the corresponding microscopes, and optionally, the control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 may be used in place of adjustment means for such illumination and detection.

[0061] The control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, and 1140 are control elements that allow the user to configure all settings, particularly for several different fluorophores, in a few interaction steps, e.g., with a few mouse clicks. Even without specialized knowledge, the user can use the control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, and 1140 to set up an experiment for a specific problem. In this way, the user can work much faster and obtain meaningful results compared to conventional systems. This time saving applies to both widefield and confocal microscopy, if the corresponding microscope 300 is configured to operate in both widefield and confocal modes. The saving is much greater on the confocal side, since the mathematical model stored for this operating mode inherently takes into account many more parameters, and the user no longer needs to manually configure each involved component.

[0062] Thus, the control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 can be used for multiple different microscope operating modes or detection types, and user interactions with the control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 can be translated into any of the multiple operating modes or detection types, thereby providing one common control concept via the user interface 1000. Thus, aspects of embodiments of the present invention include setting parameters for multiple different microscope operating modes, such as widefield mode and confocal mode, using the same user interface widgets, and transparently translating corresponding user input into specific settings for any of the operating modes, as described further below.

[0063] As shown in Figure 4, each of the phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, and 1140 includes a first widget zone 1112, 1122, 1132, and 1142 that provides user feedback indicating the corresponding phosphor, and a second widget zone 1114, 1124, 1134, and 1144 that indicates the lighting intensity associated with the phosphor. In particular, the phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, and 1140, each depicted as a round button in Figure 4, can provide the user with information regarding the nature of the designated phosphor and the lighting intensity currently being used. Thus, there is a bimodal nature of the phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, with each of the phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 providing the user with substantially all the information they need in one location and in an intuitive manner. In particular, the phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 may be configured to provide the first widget zones 1112, 1122, 1132, 1142 in a color corresponding to the (primary) excitation wavelength or emission wavelength of the phosphor associated with the phosphor control widget 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, and the first widget zones 1112, 1122, 1132, 1142 are provided with fluorescence information based on this color. The color may be freely selected by the user.

[0064] The fluorophore control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 may be configured to provide second widget zones 1112, 1122, 1132, 1142 to inform the user of the illumination intensity of the light sources 392, 394, 396, e.g., light-emitting diodes or lasers, used to illuminate the sample and excite the corresponding fluorophores. Thus, the user can be informed of the illumination intensity at any time without distraction, e.g., without having to select a different window or part of the user interface, and in this way can be warned about overly powerful and / or overly extended illumination, in particular to avoid fluorophore damage. The parameters displaying the illumination intensity can also be adjusted based on the fluorophore information, e.g., taking into account the stability of the fluorophores.

[0065] 4, the second widget zones 1114, 1124, 1134, 1144 are each rendered as a rim surrounding the first widget zones 1112, 1122, 1132, 1142, with a proportion of the rim that corresponds to illumination intensity being rendered differently from the remaining proportion. The proportion that corresponds to illumination intensity may correspond linearly to illumination intensity, or may be based on a function such as an exponential or irregular function, for example if the fluorescence response or emission is not linearly dependent on illumination intensity.

[0066] In particular, if the second widget zones 1114, 1124, 1134, and 1144 are rendered as rims surrounding the first widget zones 1112, 1122, 1132, and 1142, the lighter portions of the rims may correspond to illumination intensity as a percentage of the maximum illumination intensity, and the darker portions may correspond to the remainder. In FIG. 4, the lighter portions are shown in white, and the darker portions are shown in black. The maximum illumination intensity may be the true maximum illumination intensity of the light source or currently used light source, or it may be the maximum allowable illumination intensity defined elsewhere, such as in the fluorescence or sample information. The maximum allowable illumination intensity may be selected based on the stability of the fluorophores. In one embodiment, the second widget zones 1114, 1124, 1134, and 1144, or portions thereof, may be rendered in a “warning” color, such as red or orange, to alert the user to potential sample damage if certain illumination settings are exceeded.

[0067] 4, second widget zone 1114 displays approximately 60% lighting intensity, second widget zone 1124 displays approximately 40% lighting intensity, second widget zone 1134 displays approximately 80% lighting intensity, and second widget zone 1144 displays approximately 20% lighting intensity. This display is particularly intuitive to the user because it resembles the minutes of an hour indicated by the hands of a traditional watch or clock, where one revolution of the circle corresponds to one hour and each minute of the circle corresponds to a fraction of the hour.

[0068] In fluorescence microscopy, especially with biological specimens, avoiding or at least mitigating bleaching effects plays a crucial role. In conventional systems, users must manually adjust the light. Embodiments of the present invention free users from this task. Controls for adjusting and balancing laser intensities no longer exist. Automatic illumination procedures can be used to calculate the optimal light intensity. However, because many different combinations of fluorophores may be present in a sample, very different intensity dynamics may be encountered between different wavelengths. For this reason, it is of great interest for users to obtain feedback on the exposure of their sample. For this purpose, the second widget zones 1114, 1124, 1134, and 1144 can be used, particularly in the manner described above. The second widget zones 1114, 1124, 1134, and 1144 display, for each fluorophore, the illumination intensity of, for example, the primary excitation laser or light-emitting diode, in relation to, for example, the attenuator used. Thus, the user has direct feedback on the intensities being used and can simply glance at the phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 at each step of the experiment to assess the sample exposure and take corrective action if necessary.

[0069] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the colors of the second widget zones 1114, 1124, 1134, 1144, or more precisely, the portions of the second widget zones 1124, 1134, 1144 that indicate illumination intensity, may be rendered in a color that is related to or similar to the excitation wavelength used for the corresponding fluorophore.

[0070] Further control widgets 1151, 1152, 1161, 1162 may be provided, which may be particularly adapted to initiate experiment or data acquisition and fast acquisition modes, or any other parameters related to the experiment.

[0071] Figure 5 illustrates user inputs to a fluorescence control widget according to one embodiment of the present invention. Some of the components and their functions shown in Figure 5 have already been described in relation to Figure 4, and only additional components of them will be further described below.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 5, a user can interact with the phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, and 1140 using a user interaction means, such as a mouse or trackpad 130, as already shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 5, a mouse pointer is labeled 132′, and a user can click on the phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, and 1140, for example, using the left mouse button or any suitable interaction mode. In response, as indicated by the grayed-out phosphor control widgets 1110 and 1120, the corresponding illumination and detection can be switched off with a single user action. For example, according to one embodiment of the present invention, in a fluorescence un-mixing method used in resolving the fluorescence responses from multiple different fluorophores, certain detection channels can be switched or ignored, and certain fluorescence responses can be ignored or not considered.

[0073] More generally, the microscope controller 10 used to render the user interface 1000 is configured to, in response to user interaction in one of the interaction modes, toggle at least one of illumination to excite the corresponding fluorophores, use of fluorophore information regarding the corresponding fluorophores in a separation method to determine the fluorophore's contribution to a common fluorescence response, and display of an image obtained based on the fluorescence response of the corresponding fluorophores. As noted above, according to the illustrated embodiment, multiple settings are toggled by a single action.

[0074] When the user is searching for a location of interest in a sample in three dimensions, the system must be set to biomedical mode to illuminate the sample. Here, it is important to protect the sample from illumination as much as possible for the duration of the search. For this procedure, it is not necessary to illuminate all fluorophores. This allows switching off all unnecessary light sources. By left-clicking on the fluorophore control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 (or any other defined interaction method), activation or deactivation of fluorophores can be performed, which is equivalent to indirectly switching on or off the corresponding light source, but in a more user-friendly manner. In particular, switching back and forth between activation and deactivation becomes much easier. Switched-off fluorophores may be represented by the fluorophore control widgets 1110, 1120 in gray or faded form. When the corresponding light source is activated, the first widget zones 1112, 1122, 1132, 1142 can be rendered in a color corresponding to the emitted light color or any other color defined by the user with respect to the display color on the display panel 1200, such as (pseudo) colors as described above, or can be selected based on these colors.

[0075] By interacting with the phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 in a specific interaction mode, for example by right-clicking, the color used in the display panel 1200 for the image of the corresponding phosphor can be changed, as described above for phosphors that have very similar colors to each other in the sample. When the user selects a new color, the first widget zones 1112, 1122, 1132, 1142 can be rendered accordingly.

[0076] In one embodiment of the present invention, selecting and deselecting phosphors by acting on the phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 changes the lighting scenario, for example reducing cross-excitation of other phosphors, so that a new automatic lighting procedure can be initiated.

[0077] Figure 6 shows a regrouping of the fluorescence control widget. Again, some of the components and their functions shown in Figure 6 have been largely already described above in connection with Figures 3 and 4, and only additional themes and components thereof will be further described below.

[0078] In practice, there are combinations of fluorophores whose spectra overlap unfavorably, making it impossible to separate them. Instead of rejecting such combinations for the microscope system 1, sequential acquisition can be used as a fallback. In one embodiment of the present invention, shown in Figure 6, the user can separate interfering fluorophores and split them into new sequences by drag-and-drop actions. Thus, in a corresponding embodiment, complex combinations can be recorded in just a few seconds.

[0079] For this purpose, the microscope control device 10 provided according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to change the positions of the fluorophore control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 in the graphical user interface 1000 depending on the interaction decision in one of the interaction modes. In the illustrated example, whether excitation and detection of fluorophores should be performed sequentially or in parallel is determined based on the grouping status of the corresponding fluorophore control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 in the graphical user interface 1100. As shown in Fig. 6, the fluorophores corresponding to the fluorophore control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130 grouped in the user interface area 1101 are excited and detected in parallel. A fluorophore control widget 1140 that is moved by the user from user interface area 1101 to user interface area 1102 by a drag-and-drop action is removed from this parallel excitation and detection, and the fluorophore corresponding to this fluorophore control widget 1140 is therefore subsequently excited and detected. The drag-and-drop action is indicated by the mouse pointer 132' along arrow 132'', which begins at starting position 1140' and ends at a new position in area 1102.

[0080] Of course, further sequential excitation and detection can be configured by providing further user interface areas such as interface areas 1101 and 1102, and in each of interface areas 1101 and 1102 any number of phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, and 1140 can be grouped to request parallel excitation and detection.

[0081] 7 illustrates user inputs to a fluorescence control widget in a further embodiment of the present invention. As noted above, several components and their functions illustrated in FIG. 7 have been largely already described above, and only additional subject matter and components thereof will be further described below.

[0082] Auto-lighting provides the user with an image that has an improved or optimized signal-to-noise ratio relative to the current lighting environment. However, image impressions may be subjectively assessed very differently by different users. To provide user discretion in this regard, one embodiment of the present invention may provide fine-tuning of the auto-lighting in response to user interaction with the phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140 in user interaction modes such as mouse-over actions.

[0083] In other words, by providing a fine-tuning panel 1126 including appropriate means according to such an embodiment, the image impression can be adjusted to the user's personal preferences. In other words, when the user moves the mouse over one of the phosphor control widgets 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, a slider or set of sliders can be displayed after a certain time, for example for a few seconds, which can be used for fine-tuning. An "optimize" button can be provided to resume automatic lighting, and new parameters can be incorporated into the image. In one embodiment, the slider values ​​can be changed via the mouse wheel.

[0084] More generally, the microscope controller 10 used in this example may be configured to render the fine-tuning panel 1126 in response to an interaction in one of the interaction modes, and may be configured to modify control parameters, particularly control parameters related to automatic illumination settings, based on user input received using the fine-tuning panel 1126.

[0085] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items and may be abbreviated as " / ".

[0086] While some aspects have been described in the context of an apparatus, it will be apparent that these aspects also represent a description of a corresponding method, where a block or apparatus corresponds to a step or feature of a step, and similarly, aspects described in the context of a step also represent a description of a corresponding block or item or feature of a corresponding apparatus.

[0087] Some or all of the steps may be performed by (or using) a hardware apparatus, such as, for example, a processor, microprocessor, programmable computer, or electronic circuitry. In some embodiments, any one or more of the critical steps may be performed by such an apparatus.

[0088] Depending on certain implementation requirements, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in hardware or software. This implementation may be performed by a non-transitory storage medium, such as a digital storage medium, for example, a floppy disk, a DVD, a Blu-ray, a CD, a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, or a FLASH memory, on which electronically readable control signals are stored, which cooperate (or can cooperate) with a programmable computer system to implement the respective methods. Therefore, the digital storage medium may be computer-readable.

[0089] Some embodiments of the present invention include a data carrier having electronically readable control signals that can cooperate with a programmable computer system to perform any of the methods described herein.

[0090] Generally, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a computer program product comprising program code that is operative to perform any of the methods when the computer program product is run on a computer, and that may be stored, for example, on a machine-readable carrier.

[0091] Further embodiments comprise the computer program for performing any of the methods described herein, stored on a machine readable carrier.

[0092] In other words, an embodiment of the present invention is, therefore, a computer program having a program code for performing any of the methods described herein when the computer program runs on a computer.

[0093] Therefore, another embodiment of the invention is a recording medium (or data carrier or computer readable medium) containing a computer program stored thereon for performing any of the methods described herein when executed by a processor. The data carrier, digital recording medium or recording medium is typically tangible and / or non-transitory. Another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus as described herein, comprising a processor and a recording medium.

[0094] A further embodiment of the present invention is, therefore, a data stream or a sequence of signals representing the computer program for performing any of the methods described herein, the data stream or sequence of signals being for example adapted to be transmitted via a data communication connection, for example the Internet.

[0095] Another embodiment comprises a processing means, for example a computer, or a programmable logic device configured to or adapted to perform any of the methods described herein.

[0096] Another embodiment comprises a computer having installed thereon the computer program for performing any of the methods described herein.

[0097] Another embodiment of the present invention includes an apparatus or system configured to transfer (e.g., electronically or optically) a computer program for implementing any of the methods described herein to a receiver. The receiver may be, for example, a computer, a mobile device, a storage device, etc. The apparatus or system may include, for example, a file server for transferring the computer program to the receiver.

[0098] In some embodiments, a programmable logic device (e.g., a field programmable gate array) may be used to perform some or all of the functionality of the methods described herein. In some embodiments, a field programmable gate array may cooperate with a microprocessor to perform any of the methods described herein. In general, the methods are advantageously performed by any hardware apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1. Microscope system 10 Microscope control device 20 samples 21 Object Plane 100 Computer Systems 110 Display 120 keyboards 130 Trackpad 132 First Button 132' Mouse Pointer 132'' Movement Arrow 134 Second Button 140 processors 150 storage devices 200 Interface Unit 300 Microscope 310 Microscope Housing 320 Microscope Stage 330 Focus adjustment knob 340 Transmitted Light Illumination Unit 350 microscope objective lens 360 Microscope tube 370 Eyepiece Set 380 Detection Unit 380a, 380b Wide-field detection unit and confocal detection unit 382 Displaceable Mirror 382' Displaced mirror position 384a, 384b Wide-field and confocal image planes 386a, 386b Wide-field detector device and confocal detector device 390 Incident Lighting Unit 390a, 390b Wide-field illumination unit and confocal illumination unit 391a, 391b Dichroic mirror 392~394 light source 395b X / Y scanner 397b Pinhole 1000 Graphical User Interface 1100 Input Panel 1101~1105 Input widget or widget group, subpanel 1126 Tweak Panel 1140' starting position 1200 display panel 1201~1204 Images 1110~1140 Fluorescence control widget 1112~1142 First widget zone 1114~1144 Second widget zone

Claims

1. a microscope control device (10) including one or more processors (140) and one or more storage devices (150), the microscope control device (10) being configured to provide control parameters; the microscope control device (10) is configured to process phosphor information indicative of one or more phosphors and to derive the control parameters based on the phosphor information; the microscope control device (10) is configured to render a graphical user interface (1000) and, as part of the graphical user interface (1000), one or more phosphor control widgets (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140), the one or more phosphor control widgets (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140) corresponding to the phosphor or one of the plurality of phosphors indicated by the phosphor information; each of the or each of the plurality of phosphor control widgets (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140) includes a first widget zone (1112, 1122, 1132, 1142) that provides user feedback indicative of the corresponding phosphor and a second widget zone (1114, 1124, 1134, 1144) that indicates an illumination intensity associated with the phosphor; the second widget zones (1114, 1124, 1134, 1144) are rendered as rims surrounding the first widget zones (1112, 1122, 1132, 1142); a proportion of the rim corresponding to the illumination intensity is rendered differently from the remaining proportion; A microscope control device (10).

2. the microscope control device (10) is configured to receive user input in a plurality of different input modes and convert the user input in a plurality of different input modes into interactions with the phosphor control widgets (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140) in a plurality of different interaction modes. The microscope control device (10) according to claim 1.

3. the microscope control device (10) is configured to receive the user input in the plurality of different input modes from one or more user input devices (130) selected from a mouse, a touchpad, a joystick, a trackball, and a touchscreen; the interaction modes include at least one of clicking a first button (132), clicking a second button (134), a drag-and-drop action, a touch action, and a mouse-over action; A microscope control device (10) according to claim 2.

4. the microscope control device (10) is configured to, in response to an interaction in one of the interaction modes, toggle at least one of illumination for exciting the corresponding fluorophores, use of fluorophore information regarding the corresponding fluorophores in a separation method for determining the contribution of the fluorophores in a common fluorescence response, and display of an image obtained based on the fluorescence response of the corresponding fluorophores. A microscope control device (10) according to claim 2 or 3.

5. the microscope control device (10) is configured to render a fine-tuning panel (1126) in response to the interaction in one of the interaction modes; A microscope control device (10) according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. the microscope control device (10) is configured to modify the control parameters based on user input received using the fine-tuning panel (1126); A microscope control device (10) according to claim 5.

7. the microscope control device (10) is configured to change the position of the phosphor control widgets (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140) in the graphical user interface (1000) in response to an interaction decision in one of the interaction modes. A microscope control device (10) according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

8. the phosphor information indicates a plurality of phosphors, The microscope control device (10) is configured to provide control parameters that specify sequential or parallel excitation of the plurality of fluorophores. A microscope control device (10) according to claim 7.

9. the microscope control device (10) is configured to provide control parameters specifying whether the multiple fluorophores are required to be excited sequentially or in parallel based on the grouping status of the corresponding fluorophore control widgets (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140) in the graphical user interface (1100). A microscope control device (10) according to claim 8.

10. The microscope control device (10) is configured to provide control parameters that further specify at least one of camera settings and scanner settings. A microscope control device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The microscope control device (10) is configured to control the operation of a fluorescence microscope (300) including a plurality of light sources (392, 394, 396); the illumination intensity is the illumination intensity of one or more of the light sources (392, 394, 396) primarily used for exciting the corresponding phosphor; A microscope control device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The control parameters are configured for use in wide-field and confocal fluorescence inspection techniques. A microscope control device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. a fluorescence microscope (300); A microscope control device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, A microscope system (1) comprising:

14. 1. A method (500) for providing microscope control parameters, comprising: Phosphor information indicative of one or more phosphors is processed and control parameters are derived based on the phosphor information; a graphical user interface (1000) and, as part of said graphical user interface (1000), one or more phosphor control widgets (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140) are rendered, wherein said phosphor control widget (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140) or each of said plurality of phosphor control widgets (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140) corresponds to said phosphor or one of said plurality of phosphors indicated by said phosphor information; each of the or each of the plurality of phosphor control widgets (1110, 1120, 1130, 1140) includes a first widget zone (1112, 1122, 1132, 1142) that provides user feedback indicative of the corresponding phosphor and a second widget zone (1114, 1124, 1134, 1144) that indicates an illumination intensity associated with the phosphor; the second widget zones (1114, 1124, 1134, 1144) are rendered as rims surrounding the first widget zones (1112, 1122, 1132, 1142); a proportion of the rim corresponding to the illumination intensity is rendered differently from the remaining proportion; Method (500).

15. The method (500) comprises using a microscope control device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or a microscope system (1) according to claim 13. The method (500) of claim 14.

16. comprising a program code for performing the method (500) according to claim 14 or 15 when the program code is executed on a processor, Computer program.

Images